Vincent Cassel 'to play a villain in new Bourne movie'

French actor Vincent Cassel is reportedly set to play a villain in the new 'Bourne' movie

Vincent Cassel is to play a villain in the new 'Bourne' movie.

The 48-year-old star - whose previous film credits include 'Black Swan' and 'La Haine' - will make a rare appearance in a big-budget Hollywood movie, which will mark Matt Damon's return to the role of Jason Bourne in the as-yet-untitled project, Variety reports.

News of Vincent's casting comes shortly after Matt, 44, revealed he had been patiently waiting for the "world to change" before reprising the role.

The Oscar-winning star said the decision of Edward Snowden - a former US National Security Agency worker - to leak classified information to the media in 2013 marked a major turning point.

Looking forward to the much-hyped new film, Matt recently said: "Without giving too much of it away, it's Bourne through an austerity-riddled Europe and in a post-Snowden world."

Matt said Snowden's decision has ignited a debate about civil liberties and provides the perfect backdrop to a new 'Bourne' movie.

He reflected: "It seems like enough has changed, you know? There are all these kinds of arguments about spying and civil liberties and the nature of democracy."